Eyes Don't Lie
by SunnyBaby
Summary: There's just something about the new girl...could her past destroy someone's future?


The silver building looked imposing in the waning sunlight. The dying rays of sunshine glimmered off of the windows mirroring the neon lights of the casino down the street. Taking a long last drag off her cigarette, she dropped it to the pavement and crushed it with the toe of her boot. Picking up her knapsack and tossing it over her shoulder, she placed a piece of Wrigley's spearmint gum into her mouth and started across the parking lot.

Stepping aside to let an officer past, she entered the building and looked for a sign that would point her to the reception area. Her boots clicked on the gray tiles as she made her way down the hallway towards a rather mousy looking receptionist. She paused for a moment while the woman ended her phone conversation and then spoke.

"Good evening, my name is Aubrey Anne Hillston and I'm looking for Supervisor…umm…Willows, I think. I'm her new CSI trainee."

"Oh yes, she's been expecting you. Sign in here please and I will let her know you are here." The tiny woman answered cheerfully.

Aubrey signed the sheet and looked around the waiting area. She was impressed by the facility to say the least. The lab in Denver was nothing like this. No wonder it's the second best in the country, she thought. A small wistful smile quickly passed over her face and the receptionist spoke again.

"Miss Hillston, Ms. Willows asked that I escort you to her office, please follow me."

Aubrey fell into step behind her as they made their way down the dark corridors to a large airy office. Seated behind the desk was a nicely dressed blonde woman yelling at someone on the phone.

"Hodges, just get yourself back here immediately, I really don't care what your mother said!" Slamming down the phone, she looked up at Aubrey and her face morphed into a smile.

"Aubrey Hillston! So nice to have you on board. I hear you come highly recommended. I am glad to have a forensic psychologist on my team. We have needed someone like you for a while, but no one from your field ever wants to take a pay cut and enter the CSI field. I hope you will like it here!" Getting up from her chair, she walked around to Aubrey and shook her hand. Aubrey smiled back at her.

"Thank you Ms. Willows. I am excited to change careers actually. The FBI is not as receptive to a female psychologist as they might let on. Besides, I needed a change of scenery."

The blonde nodded in agreement.

"Oh, it's Catherine by the way. Now, let's go meet the team and I'll assign you a mentor until you pass all of your proficiencies. You will have to be escorted to all of your crime scenes for a month or so until your tests. Then you can work solo. Come on."

The two women walked a few feet down the hallway and entered the lab break room.

"Heads up people. This is Aubrey Hillston, our new recruit. I expect everyone to play nice! I'll be back with assignments in a sec." She breezed out of the room. Aubrey stood in the doorway nervously shuffling from one foot to the other.

"Hi!" She waved. Her nervous grin was met with doubtful smiles.

A dark haired man stood up and walked across the room. "Nick Stokes. Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand and Aubrey shook it gently. "Pleasure to meet you Nick."

"I'm Greg. Ex lab rat now field mouse. How do you do?" The man bounded up next to Aubrey and she smiled.

"Good, thanks."

"Ok people! Assignments are a little light tonight so we should have some free time tonight unless people decide to start running each other down on the strip. This is good, since Sara's still in Paris, we are shorthanded. Nick, you can take Aubrey and get her kit organized and then you two can take this B&E on Northrop Avenue. You can be her mentor until Sara gets back. Greg, you've got an assault at the Mirage. Ray is working with Doc in autopsy. Be safe!"

Catherine left the room and Aubrey looked at Nick. "So, I guess I'm with you huh?"

"Yep, seems that way. You're a level one right?"

"Yes, this will be my first case. I am so nervous."

"Don't be darlin'. You're with me." Nick grinned.

**Three hours later.**

"Man, how many prints are on this door anyway? Don't people ever clean anymore?" Aubrey said aloud to the empty room. She had been printing the front door of Cross's Jewelry store for the last 25 minutes and had lifted her 15th print from the door. Sighing, she stood up and stretched out her lower back. She carefully labeled the print lift and placed it in the evidence bag.

"You almost done in there newbie?" Nick yelled from the back of the store.

"Yeah. Finally." She gathered up her kit and walked over to Nick.

"Let's get this back to the lab and I'll introduce you to the print tech. You'll love Mia. She smokes too."

"How did you know….?"

"I'm an investigator darling. I have a very sensitive nose. And since it's been a long night so far, do you want to grab one before we head back?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Aubrey dropped the evidence into the back of the Denali and reached into her knapsack. Retrieving her battered pack, she pulled one out and took a long inhale.

"Ahhh….you want one?" She held the pack out to him and he waved his hand in a negative gesture.

"Nope. Thanks though." He watched her for a minute and took note of her deep brown eyes and short curly hair. "So, you're a psychologist?"

"Yep."

"What ever possessed you to walk away from all that dough and schlep in out here in the field?"

"I needed a change."

"Sure, that's what they all say."

"Ok fine. My boyfriend was an agent and the director found out."

"You're still lying."

"Fine, I got tired of the FBI. Women get no respect there and I got into with my boss."

"That's better. You always this evasive?"

"Usually"

"Where're you from girl?"

"Dunno. I'm an orphan. I was raised in Her Lady of the Innocent Children's Home in LA."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm OK with it." Aubrey crushed her cigarette out on the pavement. "Let's get this stuff back. I could use some coffee."

"Spoken like a true nightshift CSI."

And with that, they headed off into the night.


End file.
